River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-03-24
CATASTROPHE AT BUFFALO.

Fire occurred in the Richmond hotel az
Buffalo. n. Y. at $3.50 Friday morning 10y
which that structure, a new one which had
been open to the public only since February
%, was destroyed with St. James hal
adjoining. There were some l25 people in
the hotel, 20 of whom were guests and Il
number of bOardeFs, all of whom were
reused from their beds, fully thirty Of
whom lost their lives and thirty more
received injuries which in some cases will
prove fatal The whole house burned like
finder box and the people found them
selves walled in by fire on every side. The
flames ran up the elevator shaft to the top
Of the house and the rapidity of the fire,
cutting off means of escape, led some per
sons to leap for life from the windows
Others got down the fire escapes or on lad
ders raised by the fire department. One
man, mad with terror, leaped from third
story window and was picked up from the
stone sidewalk on Main street mangled
and bleeding corpse Several who sue
ceeded in making their escape were badly
injured and burned, and some of these Will
probably die. Others escaped with slight
injuries Robert Stafford, senior partner Of
the hotel with his wife. occupied rooms on
the second floor and had narrow escape
Terror overcame everybody, and
even those who escaped in safe
ty were N many cases Frustrated.
William H. Airport night clerk of the Rich
mond. states that he was sitting in the Office
at 40 o'clock when he saw reflection on
the floor Turning around he discovered
blaze in the coat and cloak room directly
under the stairway of the main floor. The
flames at once darted up the elevator shaft
with a tremendous force and in an incred
ibly short space OF time the Interior OF the
hotel was filed with smoke and flame. Then
terrible scenes began. The second and third
alarms brought the entire fire department
to the scene, but it was impossible to rave
any portion of the structure. The fire had
reached the roof in less than five minutes
from the time II was discovered. IL soon
reached and Quilted st. James hall occupied
as Bunnells museum and Tivoh hall adjOin-
ing and fronting on Washington st. The fire
which was under control by O'Clock,
was confined to the Richmond hotel and
museum property together with the
saloon of James Creighton. the cigar
store of j. c. Palacio and the Main st,
stores of the Richmond hotel which were
occupied by Ulbrick a. Kingsley book
sellers and statiOners, Peter Paul q Broth
eTs i'm the same line of business and Fuller
& Townsend, pToprietors of the Boston
clothing store. The stocks in these stores
We're totally destroyed, entailing heavy
losses. As usual, the tiremen were ham
pered terribly by the mass of telegraph
wires and cables strung in front of the
building on Main ST. Some eve witnesses
think the loss of life was largely due to the
delay caused by the wires.
The total loss is put at 100000, divived
among Il number of tenants, the owners of
the hotel and st James nall, museum prop
erty and stocks of goods. The largest loss
was 1000 on the hotel, and the smallest
| $4,000 on a stock of goods The lnsur-
ance will hardly reach two-thirds.
On Sunday workmen began search of
the ruins of the Richmond hotel, but it was
slowly proceeded with, owing to the dan
gerOus condition of the walls having great
" increased The mild weather prevailing
drew out the frost, and a stiff wind would
carry them over in very short order Mon
day morning the walls we're to be torn
down, and then large force of men will be
engaged in removal of the debris without
further delay. No bodies We're recovered
Jennie Mann. the little daughter of one Of
the proprietors. died from her burns Her
mother Is very low. Annie Nolan and Mary
Murach, servants are expected to die at the
Sisters hospital Ed Whalen of Newbury,
\. Y, il is now feared cannot recover. The
report that Mary Council, a servant had
dfad * ttpfr1ra hut she iE in 81 had condition.